War and Peace in the Nuclear Age; Visions of War and Peace; 113; Guardians of the High Frontier

Her. General Robert to her years on September the 1st 1982 a ceremony took place at Peterson Air Force Base Colorado which marked the beginning of a whole new approach toward space. The passing of the flag mark the activation of a new organization the Air Force Space Command always dynamically expressed by the command model. The Guardians of the high front here. One person who understands well the reasons why this new command was created was its first command. General James V Harding. Let's listen to him explain to us why the command was activated.

It's not very often that the United States Air Force establishes a new command. But in this case the time it come to treat space as another dimension like the land the sea in the air. Let me make sure there's no misunderstanding about the role. We activated the Air Force base command not to militarize space but rather to preserve our right of self-defense and to deter space warfare. Why do we need to be concerned about these things. In part the answer lies in the space program of the Soviet Union in the last 10 years they have launched four to five times as many satellites as we had. And some 85 percent of all their launchers are exclusively military or joint military civilian launches. They have the only operational space weapon Corbet own anti-satellite system which can threaten our lower bidding satellites since 1977 their cosmonauts have logged over six man years in space compared to our two hundred seventy seven manned days through the first 11 flights of the shuttle.

Another reason is that we are becoming increasingly dependent on space. For example 70 percent of all of our long haul communications are handled by satellites. And with this increased dependence has come an ever increasing resource commitment to the national security space budget has grown from about two billion dollars in the fiscal year 74 to over $9 a physically or 84. When another SATs. President Reagan would like to find a part of our mission when he said that the most important goal of the United States based programs is just bank and national security. America's future will be determined by your dreams and your visions and nowhere is this more true than America's next frontier. The vast frontier of space the space age is barely a quarter of a century old but already we push civilization forward with our advances in science and technology. I worked on the space shuttle gives us routine access to the landscape above us

dropping off payloads performing experiments and fixing satellites and I believe we've only touched the edge of possibilities in space. It's time to quicken our pace and reach out to new opportunities. So that's why the Air Force established this command. Now what is it that we do in general. We are managing an operating Air Force operational spacecraft and the Air Force develops a new system whether it be an aircraft a missile a radar or a spacecraft its development and acquisition are managed by our research and development community. The Air Force Systems Command is the new equipment is deployed to the field forces for their use. It enters the operational phase and one of our several operating commands becomes responsible for carrying out the related missions. Now this will happen for space systems as well as for those which operate on the

surface and in the air. Air Force Space Command has become our operational command for fully developed and deployed space systems. Acting as a catalyst between the operational and the technological world Space Command has much to do in the developing the of course that kind of operational need for space systems and in particular developing our force strategy ensuring that survivability is not dropped from our space system. The work involves planning and strategy. But more than that it

is operational to one of our most compelling needs in space is an early warning whenever a missile is launched that could pose a threat to the security of North America. The satellite early warning system so does is our answer. But the fans meteorological satellite program controlled by the Space Command. Are former Central functions for every branch of the U.S. military. Here at whether central Offit Air Force base data from the defense meteorological satellites has received on process. Then sent out to fill the needs of U.S. military commanders worldwide. One of the functions of Space Command is to establish closer ties between the research

and development community and the operational use or the organizational setup to strengthen these ties is entirely unique. Space system are indeed comes under the space division in Los Angeles. A distinct organization with its own command. At the same time this man wears another hat as the vice commander of the Space Command. An arrangement that provides an unusual degree of coordination between the developers. I am the ultimate user. Now there is a channel for making sure that the operational commanders have a voice in shaping the development of space systems. A cradle to grave psycho. One of the dramatic new systems will be coming out of development and into operation is Navistar

Global Positioning System or GP as another example of a space system that will serve all the armed forces as well as civilian users. And operational. GP as will be assigned. The Space Command GVS will allow the commander of the tank company in the field to locate his exact position. NS don't play. By the way don't have precise coordinates to a degree never before possible something of a measurable value when flying in close air support of operational forces. Space Command has also been given the operational responsibility for the mill's dire satellite system which is currently under development as models or satellite communications systems will provide the primary means for the national command authorities to direct strategic and tactical force at. Another major research effort is laid into the development of an anti-satellite weapon.

The device will be launched from an F-15 aircraft. While the future of America's military space effort is being developed in the lab. It's simultaneously being developed in other ways at other places. But all that is happening in space and the Air Force is going to need well trained technical people so a space command is promoting space education and training and colleges and universities are becoming interested in offering a major degree program in the subject of space. A leader in this area not surprisingly is the Air Force Academy. This lab happens to be the only undergraduate astronautical engineering laboratory in the free world. Our mission here is to support the Air Force Academy with hands on experience for cadets in the areas of space mission design space vehicle design or little mechanics and navigation guidance and control. By the time some of those young men and women have earned their degree. The Space Command will be

operating its new consolidated Space Operations Center say soccer say soccer is the centerpiece for future military space operations. It will be the place where new satellite systems such as the G.P.A. and mill star will be controlled. So you stock is also the place where a man the military space flights will be managed into the next century. Mapping out the future. Personnel of Space Command must focus much of his attention on the defense of the North American continent. The command plays a major role in providing early warning in case of an enemy missile or bomber attack. That more than 20 sensor locations around the globe are men and women of the Space Command continually monitor those guys and their computers receive a constant stream of messages from our early warning sensors. The personnel who operate the sensor stations. Are our front line of vigilance

for our nation. One of our satellites has detected a missile launch. A launch location and direction. It is kind of the identified almost instantly. Simultaneous notification of the missile launches received in several control rooms at the Cheyenne Mountain Complex in Colorado take a combined place to go over the border. Feeding it with a kitty to prevent mistakes. Every missile launch report must be verified by Dunedin on from the Soviet Union but I think the first thing in the art of testing is required that the sensor station a number of checks are quickly made. Ensuring that the equipment does not malfunction and verifying that the report relayed came from the satellite. Prior to the revocations authenticated by voice code goes direct to the general on

duty. The command director writer has been cited for valid intervallic goes down by first. Though it is better that you are not here frankly going into the valley that are headed for the ballot is in the system. Good writing is dear Harry's another room in Cheyenne Mountain. Air computers churn through intricate calculations to determine if the launch represents a threat to the north american got barely more than a hundred heartbeat after the missile left the drop the general relays details to the commander who must personally make the determination of whether the U.S. is under attack. Roger understand a situation in your recommendation. This line poses no threat to others but it will be the No. Check yet YOU BETTER GO TO THE NO. Letter that. You're going to. Deliver. Let it be you know you want it you got the idea.

You know. Forget. About. This time the message has been determined to be a routine Soviet test. But the system has faced a real test of its ability to determine within moments whether a missile firing anywhere in the world. Poses a threat to North America. Such a challenge is not uncommon. It took place some 500 times last year. Meanwhile details of a new space object are recorded at the NORAD's space surveillance center. In this room has maintained the free world only got a log of every satellite and object in space. There should be no doubt the space is of great importance to America's defense. Space is important not just to the Air Force but to all branches of the military services because satellites perform vital functions for each.

There are no service boundaries in space where all depended upon space for communications navigation warning surveillance and weather forecasting. We need to integrate our space forces. Into the unified and specified command structure. Just as Air Forces Land Forces and naval forces are integrated within that structure today. A unified command is the appropriate organization to help fulfill our national policy goal of a space program to strengthen national security. The US Air Force Space Command. Will join with our sister services to meet these critical challenges of the future. Space. Guardians. Of the holiday from tear. Her.

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